When Compassion Takes Over

 

Mark 1:40-45

 

And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, and He said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere.

 

 

The very mention of the name “leper” even in our day causes us to raise our guard and to think horrible thoughts. In Jesus day leprosy was a horrible, dreaded disease and those who had it were immediately outcast from society. The leper lived an isolated, lonely life.

 

It has been said that the worst thing that could happen to a person is for everyone to ignore him. You can imagine how the leper must have felt as he tried to cope with his physical pain as well as his loneliness.

 

The leper had no hope for anything good in his life…until he heard about Jesus. He no doubt had heard that Jesus was in the area and knew that he had healed some people. He probably didn’t know much more than that, but he had faith that Jesus could do something to help him. But would he? The leper’s words in verse 40 are significant because it is plain that he was not questioning Jesus’ power but only his willingness to do something.

 

Would you not agree that today we have the same problem? Aren’t our basic questions about God questions of willingness? We know that God is powerful and can do anything he wants but will he help me? What do I have to do to get God to help me? How in the world do I get God’s attention anyway? Verse 40 simply says that the leper came to Jesus, fell on his knees and asked Jesus to heal him. His attitude was no doubt important. He was in dire need. He was at the end of himself and he was not afraid to ask. He came to Jesus just as he was and made his earnest request. We have often heard the old cliché that “God helps those who help themselves”. The more biblical approach would probably sound more like, “God helps those who realize their dire need of him and who humble themselves before him and ask for what they need.”

 

In the next verse we find these three important words; “moved with compassion”. “And moved with compassion he stretched out his hand and touched him”. Jesus saw the man’s need and was overwhelmed with compassion. The Greek word for compassions is “splagkna”. It literally means “the inward parts of the body”. Also, in this instance the word is a passive aorist participle (hey, I didn’t study Greek for nothing!). This simply means that Jesus was overcome with a feeling in his gut that wrenched him and stirred his mercy. Today, we usually refer to these “inward parts” as the “heart”. So compassion is a matter of the heart. It is a matter of the gut. It is not really a matter of the will but it works hand in hand with the will. It is certainly good to have a rationalistic outlook on life and most of the time we are controlled by our reason. But God has also made us emotional creatures and our heart can stir us to action often when our mind cannot. This is the way of compassion. It seems that everyday the world is becoming a colder place and less compassionate. But Christians can make a difference. God’s people are rational but they are also “heart” people.

 

It is interesting that the disciples never seem to manifest this response in the gospels but we see it in Jesus often. Here are a few examples.

 

Mark 6:34 Jesus saw the people as sheep without a shepherd.

Mark 14:14 Jesus saw sick people.

Mark 8:2 Jesus saw hungry people.

Matthew 9:36 Jesus saw the people as harassed and downcast.

Matthew 20:34 Jesus saw two blind men.

 

In all these situations the Bible says that Jesus felt “splagkna”. He was moved with compassion.

 

How do we define compassion anyway? I admit that it’s very hard to put into words but compassion is an intense feeling that calls for expression, in particular the alleviation of suffering. Compassion is an emotional thing. It’s ok to get emotional once in a while and not just over a ballgame. The people of the world want to see our heart. They don’t want to just hear reasonable answers that have been taught in a school. Compassion can not be taught in a school. It has to come through a close walk with God and with people.

 

Compassion is not a wimpy thing. It affects not only the mind but the will of the individual. We see first of all that Jesus had a willing heart. He demonstrated his willingness when he reached out and touched the unclean man. This was something that no one else was willing to do.

 

Willingness means to accept or agree to, without objection or resistance, to carry out the wishes of others. Jesus is willing. I believe he is more willing to help us than we are often willing to ask. Willingness is a distinguishing characteristic of Jesus. Shouldn’t it be a distinguishing mark of Christians as well?

 

Compassion and willingness go hand in hand. Compassion without willingness is unfruitful. Until a willing spirit is born compassion is an empty feeling. It accomplishes nothing. We may look at pictures of starving children or wander the halls of a nursing home (or hospital) or listen to the cries of broken and hurting people but if our compassion doesn’t incite us to do something about it what good is it? We have just added another miserable person to the world, namely our self.

 

A willing heart always seeks expression through involvement. Compassion was the motivator, the impetus, the driving force which caused Jesus to act and willingness was the vehicle that allowed the action to take place, but it was involvement that got the job done. Jesus reached out and touched the unclean man and spoke the words that brought healing to the leper. He became involved. Let’s remind ourselves what it means to be involved. To be involved is to become entangled, sucked in, getting into a situation in which extrication is difficult, to become an integral part of the process, to engage in a battle, to participate. Someone who is watching a football game on television may say, “I get too involved in these things.” What a mild definition of involvement! If he were really involved he would be down on the field taking a beating, carrying the ball and pushing toward the goal.

 

Involvement is crucial to the cause of Christ. We must be on the front lines of the battle if we want to make a difference. When I think of involvement I think of a missionary friend of mine from Africa. Her name is Caroline and she was a single nurse. Caroline was never satisfied with the easy tasks. She always took the tough assignments. Rather than working at the mission hospital she lived in the bush close to the people. She ministered to them in their villages. For many months she lived in a shabby house without electricity or running water. Caroline’s heart went out to the people because she knew first hand their poverty and helplessness. But more than that, she saw their spiritual poverty. Though Caroline was an excellent nurse she felt she needed to return home to get more training in order to teach the people more about the Bible. No other missionaries were willing to go into the area where she lived because living there was so hard. While studying at the seminary in Texas she became afflicted with osteoporosis. Her doctor said she could never return to Africa. So Caroline became a chaplain to terminally ill cancer patients here in the states. She says that she loves her work. She also says, “I learn so much more about living from people who are dying than anywhere else.” God has used Caroline to touch countless lives because she is willing to go anywhere and do anything that God calls her to do. What impresses me the most about Caroline is that she is so humble yet so joyful and radiant in her walk with Christ.

 

Involvement is the key to healing. It is involvement which reaps the benefit but also pays the price. The story in Mark had a happy ending for the leper. He was immediately cleansed of his leprosy. You can imagine his joy and excitement. Now he didn’t have to hurt anymore. Now he could go among his friends and relatives without being shunned. He was no longer an outcast. I’m sure his ecstasy was beyond compare.

 

Involvement is the window of claiming the benefit in our world today. The sinner will not be set free without our involvement. But when we are involved in ministry to those in need lives are healed and made better. But the benefit is not always free. Jesus suffered some negative consequences because of his involvement. Jesus wanted to continue his preaching mission. He had an urgent message. His message was that the kingdom of God had come. But because of the leper’s testimony Jesus could not even go into a city. Everyone wanted to get healed and they also wanted to make him a king. Jesus had not come for an earthly kingdom. It was not yet time for him to be lifted up to his rightful place as king. Jesus suffered a drastic change in his lifestyle because of his involvement. What about us? Are we willing to undergo a change in our lifestyle for Jesus’ sake? Many people today want a religion that fits comfortably into their lifestyle. Jesus’ call is a call to service which doesn’t rule out sacrifice. Is your lifestyle different because Jesus is lord of your life? The leper went free because of Jesus’ healing, but now Jesus was confined. In a sense, what the leper gained, Jesus lost. His compassion for the lost and dying world allowed the nails to be driven into his hands and feet. He didn’t let the threat of sacrifice deter him from his mission to save lost and dying sinners.

 

In another story, the parable of the good Samaritan, we have a beautiful summary of what Jesus did. The Samaritan had compassion and willingness to become involved with a hurting stranger. He paid the price of caring with his money and time. Someone may ask, “why?” The answer is simple. It is found in 1 John 3:16-18.

 

“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.